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Shirley Hall (Deveraux House)

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Shirley Hall, also known as the Deveraux House, was built in 1940 for the Deveraux family of Norfolk by architect William Graves Perry, who worked on the restoration of Williamsburg. It is well known for its iconic Georgian Revival style. The house was later named “Shirley Hall” after the present owner’s wife.

Images

Picture of the outside of Shirley Hall

A picture of a brick house with two stories. It has two chimneys, seven windows surrounding the door, and grass and shrubbery around the front of the building.

Black and white image of the driveway

a photo of the driveway of the front of the house. There are large trees and a lawn to the sides of the house. On the side ride of the house, there is a large, ornate white window that stands out.

Photo of the front of the house from the street

The brick house is visible in the background. It is partially obscured by trees and a large, grassy lawn

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

The single-dwelling home formerly known as the Deveraux House was built in 1940 for James and Margot Deveraux of Norfolk. The Deverauxs had moved to Virginia where Mr. Deveraux operated a shipping line in Norfolk. They were frequent visitors of Williamsburg and were impressed by the restoration efforts in the area, so they hired Colonial Williamsburg architect William Graves Perry of the Boston architect firm Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn. Working in Williamsburg had solidified Perry’s place in American architectural history, but it rarely allowed him to explore his own creativity. When designing the Deveraux House, he was able to “break the mold” and incorporate inspiration from Neoclassical designs as well as his own style when planning the building. 

 

The house was designed in the Georgian Revival style, and notably includes two massive twin chimneys and widow’s walk on the roof. The staircase installed in the house was originally part of the 1826 Hunter House in old Princess Anne County. The cypress floors in the main rooms of the house also came from an 1840 plantation house in Louisiana. 

Originally, the site was much larger, and the Deverauxs also owned property across the access road and across Linkhorn Bay to “protect the views from the house.” However, over time, these pieces of land were sold off by the original owners, reducing the site to four and a half acres. 

The house was restored in 1997 by current owners Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Roberts. It is now private property and was renamed “Shirley Hall” after the present resident’s wife. It was added to the Virginia Landmarks Registry in 1998 and the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. 

Sources

Comments, www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/134-5002/. 

“50 Most Historically Significant Houses and Structures in Virginia Beach” Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Partnership

Hanbury, John Paul C. December 4th 1998. Accessed April 14th 2021. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/VLR_to_transfer/PDFNoms/134-5002_Shirley_Hall_1999_Final_Nomination.pdf .

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikipedia

Virginia Department of Historic Resources

Google Earth

Additional Information